Ballast apparatus for submarine vessels.



No. 803,175. PATENTED 00131, 1905f v s. LAKE.

BALLAST APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED PBB.17. 1905.

2 SHEETS*SHEET 1.

yi/tmooco u No. 803,175. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. 'S. LAKE.

BALLAST APPARATUS P011 SUBMARINE VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.17,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi/wleooao v 5 a M'oz mam/Mm 331W WW SIMON LAKE,.OF BRIDGEPQRT, CONNECTICUT.

'BALLAST APPARATUS FQR SUBMARlNjE VESSELS.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31,1905.

Application filed February 17, 1905. Serial lio- 246,156.

To all whom i2; may concern:

Be it known that i, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairiield and State of Eonnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballast Apparatus for Submarine Vessels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has "for its object to provide a simple and effective apparatus for controlling the contents of a system of water-ballast tanks in a submarine vessel.

Heretot'ore it has been considered necessary to provide means for independently admitting water to and conducting it from the individual tanks of the systern; but by the present invention i am enabled to fill the several tanks successively through an initial tank and to insure that the predetermined order of manipulation of the watcr'in respect of the several tanks is invariably followed, so that each tank of too system may be completely tilled before its successor receives water ballast,

and thereby prevent the shifting of the waterballast and disturbance of equilibrium of the vessel in case the any cause. The maintenance of a particular order in which water is admitted to the several tanks also insures against disturbance of the equilibrium during the ballasting operation by reason of the unequal distribution of water temporarily upon opposite sides of the center of buoyancy ot the structure.

he presen invention further provides for i the positive cutting d of communication bethe water-ballast piping therein.

tween the filled and unfilled or partially-tilled tanks oi the sys em by locking the intervening overflow check-valve, so that the pitching or carecning oi'the vessel from any cause shall not effect the shifting of the water ballast to any appreciable extent, and thereby injuriousiy atlect the equilibrium of the vessel. The invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in w'liich--- Figure 1 is a side elevation'of a submarine vessel provided with water-ballast apparatus arranged and operated in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sec" tion, and Fig. 3 a partial sectional plan, representing the amidship portion of the vessel and Fig, t is a detail transverse sectional view representing the outboard discharge-pipe lead ingWrorn one of the pumps, with its adjustable spring checkvalve; and Fig. 5 is ascctional elevation replatter should careen from i resenting, upon an enlarged scale,..one of the initial ballast-tanks with the several valves controlling the'tlow of water ballast into and out of the same. 1

The vessel is provided with the usual propelling and steering means, and its hull comprises the pressure-resisting body I, of circular cross-section, and the superstructure 2, the lower portion of the former being divided, as herein represented, into systems of forward and after ballast-tanks 3 and 4:, separated by the usual transverse partitions-or bulkheads, while the superstructure has a single transverse bulkhead 5, dividing its interior into a forward and an after compartment adapted to be completely tilled with water preparatory to submergence.

As shown herein, the water-ballast apparatus comprises a pair of rotary pumps 6, each driven by an electric motor tion or inlet pipes 8, communicating through the pipe 9, connected, by means of the upright pipe and the longitudinally-disposed distributing-pipe 11', with the sea-inlet pipe 12, controlled by a gate-valve 13. The distributing-pipe 11 extends fore and aft into the initial tank of each system of ballast-tanks, where its extremities are respectively connected with the valve-casings 14 and 15, each having a suitableseat to which is fitted a disk valve 16, provided with an axially-disposed guide 17, spaced above such valve and titted 1 loosely to the valve-stem l8, which hasa head or enlargement 19 intermediate the same and the valve and a threaded portion slightly 3 above to [it a similarly-threaded aperture in the casing. The valve-stem passes thence upwardly through a stuiiing-box 20 upon the l valve-casing and a upon the top of the tank and terminates in a handle or cross-bar 22, by which it may be rotated for raising or lowering its head 19 to forcibly raise the valve from its seat by engagement with the bottom of said guide or to force I said valve upon its seat or to remain intermel diate the valve and its guide, so as to enable the valveto open automatically under pressure as a check-valve when water ballast is to l be drawn from the tank.

I Each tank of both systems of forward and after ballast-tanks is connected at the bottom to the adjacent tank or tanks by a passage having a check-v alve 23 opening toward the primary tank of its respective system connected with the pump 6, as before described, and

at the top with the. adjacent tank or tanks of 7 and having suc- I the valve-plate 28, provided with a suitably faced inclined seat 29 to receive the valvedisk. 'Each of'the upper check-valves is further provided with locking means comprising a screw-stud 30, passing through a stufiingbox 31 into the interior of the boat, where it is provided with a square head 32 to afford means for turning it for adjustment into and out of contact with the head of the valve-se- This stop-stud is retracted for filling the ballast-tanks, but maybe advanced upon the valve to lock the same at curing screw-bolt.

ter the ballast is adjusted, so as to prevent its shitting from one tank to another ad'y'iining when the vessel pitches or careens fromany cause, thus providing an absolute safeguard against the shifting of the water ballast which would affect to a greater or less extent the equilibrium of the vessel. i

The discharge-passage of each pump is connected with a pipe 33, extending outboard and closed by a valve 34, whose stem 35 passes through a stufling-box in an elbow-fitting36, between which and an adjustable thrust-collar afiorded by the hand-wheel 37 with internally-screw-threaded hub fitted to the similarly-threaded outer portion of the stem 35, is interposed the spring 88, acting to yieldingly hold said valve normally closed. The discharge pipe 33 is provided with two branches 40 and t1, controlled by valves 42 and 43, leading, respectively, to the forward and after compartments of the superstructure. The suction-pipes 8 of both pumps are also connected by pipes having branches Hand 45, joining the pipes 40 and it intermediate their controlling-valves and the superstructure and also provided with controlling-valves 46 and 47, respectively.

In practice the check-valve in the dischargepipe 38 is set to open when the pressure in such pipe slightly exceeds that required to force water ballast into the superstructure through the pipes 40 and 4.1, the connfilete filling bf. the superstructure or the closing of l the valves 42 and 43 in the pipes leading thereto serving to direct the water thereafter discharged by the pump outboard through the pipe 33.

Water may [36 admitted. to the ballast tanks 3-and 4 in sue ession by overflow from the one into theadjoining tank through the upper check-valve 24 and may be drawn from such tanks also successively, but in reverse order, by movement from the last-filled tanks into adjacent tanks through the lower cheek-valves 23, as will be readily understood, the displacement and 7 replacement of air in the several tanks of each system being effected through the vent-pipes 25 and theintermediate checkvalves 24: and 23, respectively, depending upon the direction of flow of the water through the system. It will be observed, however, that air cannot be drawn from one of the farther tanks from the initial tank through a lower valve 23 until practically its entire water contents are first removed through such valve, and thelatter is thereby uncovered for the admission of air to the adjoining tank, which insures that each tank shall be emptied m succession before the ad oining rank intermediate the same and the initial tank may be emptied. Q

While the external pressure will be sulficient to force the water into the ballast-tanks through the sea connection 12 and distributing-pipe 11 when their valves are opened, the introduction of water to the superstructure and expulsion of the same from both superstructure and ballast-tanks is effected by setting either or both of the pumps {3 in operation and suitably manipulating the valves in the connecting-pipes, as will be understood by reference to the drawings.

From'the foregoing description it will be seen that the construction and arrangenunit of the various component parts of the waterballast apparatus may be widely varied while still retaining the principles oi the present improvement, and it is therefore to be understood that such equivalents which will readily suggest themselves to those conversant with such matters are fully within the scope of the present invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the present invention, what I claim herein is- 1. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks and means whereby water may be introduced into and expelled from the same, of means acting automatically for controlling the How of water therein in order to effect the filling and emptying of said tanks in succession.

2 In a submarine boat, the combination IIS with a plurality of ballast-tanks, and means whereby water may be introduced into and expelled from the same, of means provided in one or more of said tanks controlled by the water in an adjacent tank for opening communication therewith only after said adjacent tank has become filled 3. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks and means connected with an initial one of said tanks whereby water may be supplied to and con- IZO ducted from the same, of connections intermediate said tanks controlled by the quantity of water in an ad joining tank whereby the inflow of water to the said initial tank operates to fill the remaining tanks in succession.

4:. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks and means connected with an initial one of said tanks whereby water may be supplied to and conducted from the same, of valved connections intermediate said tanks so arranged and operated that the overflow from each tank, beginning with the initial tank, enters the adjacent unfilled tank, and water drawn from said initial tank is replaced by that from the subseqliiently filled or partially filled adjoining tan 5. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks and connected meanswliereby water may be admitted to and conducted from the same, of means for controlling the filling of said tanks successively, beginning with an initial tank, and the emptying of said tanks successively in the reverse order.

' 6. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks and means connected with an initial tank of the same whereby water may be admitted to and conduct ed from the same, of valved connections at the top and bottom intermediate'said tanks to permit the filling of each tank in. succession after the first and the emptying of each in' succession after the last wholly or partially filled tank.

'7. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks, and means connected with an initial tank thereof whereby water may be admitted to and conducted from the same, of valved connections at the top and bottoin intermediate said tanks, and an air-vent in the tank farthest removed from said initial tank.

8. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks and means connected with an initial tank thereof whereby water may be admitted to and conducted from the same, said ballast-tanks being in -communication at the top and bottom by meansvof suitable passages, of check-valves disposed in the upper connecting-passages opening away from said initial tank and-checkvalves disposed in the lower connecting-passages opening in the contrary direction.

9. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of connected ballast-tanks, of means whereby water may be admitted to and conducted from an initial tank thereof, and means applied to each said tank for controlling the flow of water to and from an ad joiningtank whereby the volume of Water admitted to said initial tank determines the contents of each of the other tanks.

10. In a"submarine boat, the combination with a'plurality of ballast-tanks provided with intermediate connections, check-valves in said connections, means. for locking said checkvalves shut, and means whereby water may be admitted to and conducted from an initial tank for filling thefsame and the other tanks in succession 11. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks provided with intermediate automatically-operable connections, of a combined inlet and discharge pipe for an initial tank thereof, a valve with which said pipe is provided for controlling the flew of water therein, and means for locking the same either open or closed.

12. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks provided with intermediate automatically-operable connections, of a. combined inlet and discharge pipe.

for an initial tank thereof, a self-opening valve with which said pipe is provided for controlling the flow of water therein, and means for locking said valve either open or closed.

13. In a submarine boat, the combination with a plurality of ballast-tanks provided with intermediate automatically-operable connections, of a combined inlet and discharge pipe for an initial tank thereof, avalve-casing with which said pipe is connected and providedwith a valve-seat, a valve fitted to said seat and constructed with an axially-disposed guide spaced from the body of said valve, a valvestem fitted loosely to said guide and having a head intermediate the latter and the valve body, and means for raising and lowering said valve-stem to open and lock said valve upon its seat.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. SIMON LAKE. Witnesses: I

L. B. MILLER, HENRY J. MILLER. 

